Illustration and Inspiration: Keep an Original Skillshare Sketchbook - Skillshare Course

Let popular illustrator Leah Goren inspire you to start and keep a sketchbook to help you stay creative and record the beauty of your world. Leah's sketchbook practice stands out for its beauty, cohesion, and accessibility, all while remaining experimental and pushing her illustration process. This 30-minute class shares her approach and 3 of her prompts for overcoming creative block: Draw a pattern based on an object Draw from life Draw the space around you All levels of illustrators are welcome! Bring any materials you like to work with (pens, watercolors, gouache) and any type of paper. This class is all about putting your creativity on the page. In the end, you'll have the beginnings of a sketchbook that feels polished and personal.______________What You'll LearnIntroduction. In this lesson, Leah Goren will guide you through several drawing exercises while completing your own personal sketchbook. You won't just learn to draw in this class; You will also master preparing client projects, creating patterns from everyday objects, and even creating an entire composition. Leah's sketchbook practice. Leah will take you on a tour of her sketchbook, where you'll see how her drawing techniques came together to create prints and products she now sells in her store. You'll learn how Leah approaches drawing and how clients have found her through social channels like Instagram to commission her work for their stores. From her first sketchbook at Parsons School of Design to her current work of landscape sketches, you'll see how Leah's style has evolved over time, but remains unique enough to adhere to her personal brand. You will explore a variety of mediums, from colored pencil drawings to watercolors. Finally, Leah will show you what materials you need to paint on the go and explain how a sketchbook can act as your visual journal. Exercise 1: Draw patterns. In the first of Leah's sketching tutorials, you'll learn how to use a photographic visual reference (in this case, an old cat photo book) to create a pattern. You'll learn how to approach a blank page, apply color repetition to patterns, and fill your space efficiently. Exercise 2: Drawing from life. You will see Leah draw a vase full of flowers of life. You'll start by making a decision about the colors you'll use in your work, and from there you'll choose how to interpret the real-life object in a variety of ways. You'll learn how to fill the space on a blank page by improvising and deviating from the real-life object enough to adapt it into an attractive 2D image. You'll also learn how to view an image from multiple perspectives and how to turn a physical object into a design suitable for a pattern. You can always use the drawing in your sketchbook as a reference image for later, more professional work! Exercise 3: Draw your space. You'll look at how to draw a part of a room, learn to use perspective, contrast colors, and move from the outlines of objects to identifying fine details. You'll learn how to start with objects in the foreground and fill in the background later, and you'll discover how to capture moving elements in an otherwise still scene.